Albertans4HealthResearch.ca

Exploring Health System Integration of Public Health and Primary Care in Alberta

University of Calgary

 

Background

Health system integration promotes seamless, continuous, high quality of care as patients transition through the health care system and access services in their community. Some evidence suggests that integrated care decreases health system costs and improves patient outcomes and population health. However, there are dynamic and complex challenges with health system integration that involve public health and primary care collaboration, including: lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities, poor coordination, and a need to build relationships and trust.
We aim to identify recommendations and initiatives for enhancing health system integration across public health and primary care in Alberta for health promotion and disease prevention initiatives. To do achieve this, we will be conducting a scan of past and current initiatives that involve public health and primary care collaboration to understand what works/what doesn’t when it comes to integrated efforts. We will also conduct interviews with leadership and staff from public health and primary care in Alberta about to learn about their experiences with collaborating, as well as patients, to understand how we can improve their experience around health promotion and disease prevention. Finally, we will work with leadership and staff from public health and primary care, healthcare providers, and patients to review the research findings and co-design recommendations and identify initiatives to improve health system integration the province.
This study has been approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB23-0737).

 

Roles and Responsibilities

We are seeking one Patient Co-Investigator to collaborate with us to on the study. The Patient Co-Investigator may be involved in identifying initiatives for the scan, collaborating on developing interview guides, conducting interviews with patients, supporting the interpretation of the findings, developing materials to share the findings, presenting with the research team, attending research meetings, and providing input on grant applications. The Patient Co-Investigator are welcome to collaborate in activities as they are interested and available, with some limits based on the budget.

 

Experience with research is preferred (particularly with TCPS2 certificate), but not necessary. Preference will be given to patients with experience/knowledge about health promotion and prevention, and/or primary health care.

 

Time Commitment

The time commitment is between September 2023- August 2024, up to 100 hours over the course of the year (5-12 hours per month, depending on activities).

 

Reimbursement/Compensation

Patient Co-Investigators will be compensated at $25 per hour, and reimbursed for any parking expenses resulting from collaborating on this project. Reimbursement for internet or phone related charges is not available. Compensation will be given as preferred by the Patient Co-Investigator (e.g. as a casual employee with the University of Calgary or gift card). We will aim to offer compensation in formats preferred by the Patient Co-Investigator i.e. UCalgary casual employee, gift cards, etc. Patient Co-Investigators may also have the opportunity to co-author any publications as a result of their collaboration.

 

For more information or to apply, please contact:

Kimberly Manalili                                                       

Email: kmanalil@ucalgary.ca

Phone: 403.671.9103